Ok. So you really weren't getting good reception and that the Iphone 4 is actually working correctly.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/07/02/technology/iphone_update/index.htm

The iPhone 4 "grip of death" signal-strength problem turns out to be a bug that has been with Apple's bestselling smart phone all the way back to the original iPhone.

Apple announced Friday that it had found a "simple and surprising" explanation for the reception issues iPhone 4 buyers have been reporting since the phone's release last week.

"Upon investigation, we were stunned to find that the formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong," the company wrote in a statement (http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2010/07/02appleletter.html) posted on its website. "Our formula, in many instances, mistakenly displays 2 more bars than it should for a given signal strength."

That means, for example, that iPhones sometimes display four bars when they should be displaying two. Apple (AAPL (http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=AAPL&source=story_quote_link), Fortune 500 (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2010/snapshots/670.html?source=story_f500_link)) said users reporting a significant drop in bars when they hold their iPhone 4 are probably in an area of "very weak signal strength" but were unaware of that because the phone displayed four to five bars.

"Their big drop in bars is because their high bars were never real in the first place," the company said.

Apple said it will release a free software update in the next several weeks to fix the glitch. It will use a new formula recommended by AT&T (T (http://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=T&source=story_quote_link), Fortune 500 (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/2010/snapshots/2756.html?source=story_f500_link)), the iPhone's exclusive carrier, for calculating how many bars to display. Apple said it will also make the first three bars a bit taller to make them easier to see.

The problem is not confined to the iPhone 4: The bad formula has been present in every iPhone all the way back to the 2007 original, Apple said. As a result, the update will be available for the second-generation iPhone 3G and third-generation iPhone 3GS, though Apple did not mention an update for the original iPhone.

When the problem first arose, several users sent e-mails to Apple CEO Steve Jobs. To at least one of the e-mailers, Jobs replied, "Just avoid holding it in that way." Apple later released a statement saying that gripping any phone will cause reception to drop a bit.

On Friday, Apple revised that statement, saying that "gripping almost any mobile phone in certain ways will reduce its reception by 1 or more bars," but a loss of four or five bars was "a far bigger drop than normal."

Apple said that most customers have reported improved signal strength on the iPhone 4 compared to the iPhone 3GS. But it still said it was sorry for the incident.

"For those who have had concerns, we apologize for any anxiety we may have caused," the company wrote

kstater

07-02-2010, 10:46 AM

LMAO

kstater

07-02-2010, 10:47 AM

ROFL

"Their big drop in bars is because their high bars were never real in the first place," the company said in a letter to users.

jjjayb

07-02-2010, 10:54 AM

The obligatory:

http://www.chrisrue.com/funcave/graphics/minister.jpg

dirk digler

07-02-2010, 10:57 AM

The obligatory:

http://www.chrisrue.com/funcave/graphics/minister.jpg

That is pretty much how I took it

NewChief

07-02-2010, 10:59 AM

I had to check to make sure this wasn't from the Onion. Sometimes reality is better than fiction.

Saulbadguy

07-02-2010, 10:59 AM

Any other exchange admins have troubles with iOS4 and active sync owning their servers?

They released a configuration profile you can install that supposedly helps.

DaFace

07-02-2010, 11:02 AM

Heh. Silly Apple. Weird that it took this long for anyone to complain about it, though.

irishjayhawk

07-02-2010, 12:00 PM

Source: “Letter From Apple Regarding iPhone 4”.

The iPhone 4 has been the most successful product launch in Apple’s history. It has been judged by reviewers around the world to be the best smartphone ever, and users have told us that they love it. So we were surprised when we read reports of reception problems, and we immediately began investigating them. Here is what we have learned.

We cannot believe we had to write this ****ing letter.

To start with, gripping almost any mobile phone in certain ways will reduce its reception by 1 or more bars. This is true of iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, as well as many Droid, Nokia and RIM phones.

We cannot believe we’re getting shit for this.

But some users have reported that iPhone 4 can drop 4 or 5 bars when tightly held in a way which covers the black strip in the lower left corner of the metal band. This is a far bigger drop than normal, and as a result some have accused the iPhone 4 of having a faulty antenna design.

(No translation necessary.)

At the same time, we continue to read articles and receive hundreds of emails from users saying that iPhone 4 reception is better than the iPhone 3GS. They are delighted. This matches our own experience and testing. What can explain all of this?

It really is a better antenna and gets better reception, overall, than any previous iPhone. That’s really the hell of this whole goddamn situation. It’s like a two steps forward, one step back design, except maybe more like three steps forward, because this thing is faster at downloading, 10 times faster at uploading, and most importantly is better at not dropping calls with a weak signal. But, yes, there’s that one step back, wherein it can suffer from unintended attenuation when you bridge the lower-left antenna gap with your skin, and frankly, we’re a little pissed that this one step back is getting all the attention.

We have discovered the cause of this dramatic drop in bars, and it is both simple and surprising.

We are going to blame AT&T.

Upon investigation, we were stunned to find that the formula we use to calculate how many bars of signal strength to display is totally wrong. Our formula, in many instances, mistakenly displays 2 more bars than it should for a given signal strength. For example, we sometimes display 4 bars when we should be displaying as few as 2 bars.

We decided from the outset to set the formula for our bars-of-signal strength indicator to make the iPhone look good — to make it look as if it “gets more bars”. That decision has now bitten us on our ass.

Users observing a drop of several bars when they grip their iPhone in a certain way are most likely in an area with very weak signal strength, but they don’t know it because we are erroneously displaying 4 or 5 bars. Their big drop in bars is because their high bars were never real in the first place.

Yes, with no case on the phone, your signal strength can drop by about 20 or even 30 percent depending how you hold the phone. We’re going to change the bar algorithm so that you’ll only lose one bar (maybe two, if you’re holding the phone obnoxiously tight or have gross sweaty palms) if you’re holding it that way.

To fix this, we are adopting AT&T’s recently recommended formula for calculating how many bars to display for a given signal strength. The real signal strength remains the same, but the iPhone’s bars will report it far more accurately, providing users a much better indication of the reception they will get in a given area. We are also making bars 1, 2 and 3 a bit taller so they will be easier to see.

We are braced for the backlash when, after installing this update, people who weren’t experiencing any problems at all with their iPhones start complaining, loudly, that their phones which used to get five bars now only get three or two or whatever from the same locations, and we all know — us and everyone reading this — that Gizmodo will immediately declare that the update has made iPhone 4 reception worse, even though we’ve just explained that we’re not changing anything related to actual reception, but rather only to how we indicate signal strength.

We will issue a free software update within a few weeks that incorporates the corrected formula. Since this mistake has been present since the original iPhone, this software update will also be available for the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G.

(No translation necessary.)

We have gone back to our labs and retested everything, and the results are the same — the iPhone 4’s wireless performance is the best we have ever shipped. For the vast majority of users who have not been troubled by this issue, this software update will only make your bars more accurate. For those who have had concerns, we apologize for any anxiety we may have caused.

Don’t **** this thing up for us. We mean, have you seen the Retina Display?

As a reminder, if you are not fully satisfied, you can return your undamaged iPhone to any Apple Retail Store or the online Apple Store within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.

We dare you.

And take your class action suits filed four days after we released the goddamn thing and stick them up your ****ing asses.

We hope you love the iPhone 4 as much as we do.

Seriously, have you seen it?

Thank you for your patience and support.

Don’t hold it that way, or buy a case.

Loved this piece by John Gruber.

Don't really know how Apple can make a PR situation worse, but they have. We lied to you for 3 years and now we're caught.

Donger

07-02-2010, 12:07 PM

Man, that's funny. How exactly does a reboot of the RSSI code fix a faulty antenna design?

Dicky McElephant

07-02-2010, 12:12 PM

To start with, gripping almost any mobile phone in certain ways will reduce its reception by 1 or more bars. This is true of iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, as well as many Droid, Nokia and RIM phones.

And once again...I'll bring it up. I've NEVER had a problem with ANY of the phones that I've owned.....EVER.

July 1 (Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. fan sites have found a cheaper fix for iPhone 4 users than the $29 rubber case that the company is selling to minimize antenna-reception problems: Livestrong bracelets that sell for about $1 each.

The iPhone Guru, The Unofficial Apple Weblog and CrunchGear are recommending that users take a pair of scissors to cyclist Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong yellow bracelets or other inexpensive plastic wristbands; cut out holes for the phones’ dock connector, headphone jack and silent-mode toggle switch; and stretch the bands around the phone.

After Apple began selling the iPhone 4 on June 24, users reported reception problems and dropped calls when they held the lower-left corner of the device in a certain way. The company advised them to hold it differently or buy a case. Apple sells a case called Bumper that surrounds the outer rim of the phone and is available in white, black, blue, green, orange and pink.

“Apple sells the Bumpers in six colors for a wince-inducing $29 each,” Aurich Lawson, a writer on the Ars Technica technology blog, said in a posting today. “For this kind of quality and utility you should get all six colors for the price.”

While the Bumpers seem to do the job, even users accustomed to paying premium prices for Apple gadgets might feel the cost is “a rip-off,” Lawson wrote.

Livestrong Band

Natalie Kerris, an Apple spokeswoman, reiterated the company’s comments that users should buy one of the cases available for the phone or avoid gripping it in the lower left corner “in a way that covers both sides of the black strip in the metal band.” The company sold 1.7 million iPhones in the first three days.

Livestrong bands are available from Livestrong.org, part of a non-profit foundation started by Armstrong in 1997 to help people fight cancer. The group sells a 10-pack of the wristbands for $10, with proceeds used to fund its cancer survivor and support programs, according to the foundation’s website.

Livestrong.org said it has seen an increase today in visitors to the wristband page on its site. “This glitch is our gain by getting our message of social change to more people,” foundation President Doug Ulman said in an e-mailed statement.

Armstrong sent a message to his roughly 2.5 million followers on social-networking site Twitter.com today, saying “Wow. Cool,” to describe the new use for the Livestrong bands. Armstrong, 38, is in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to participate in his final Tour de France cycling race, which begins this weekend.

Lawsuits

Users who order an Apple Bumper today can expect it to ship within five to seven business days, with mailing costs starting at $4, according to the Cupertino, California-based company’s website. IPhone cases are also available from accessory makers including Hard Candy Cases and Belkin International Inc.

Apple was sued yesterday in San Francisco over reception problems with the new iPhone by customers who accused the company of unfair business practices and false and misleading advertising. A separate complaint was filed in Maryland today, alleging that Apple and U.S. wireless service provider AT&T Inc. were negligent in marketing the phone.

Apple fell $3.05 to $248.48 at 4 p.m. New York time in Nasdaq Stock Market trading. The shares have advanced 18 percent this year.

Mr. Flopnuts

07-02-2010, 01:30 PM

And once again...I'll bring it up. I've NEVER had a problem with ANY of the phones that I've owned.....EVER.

Yeah me neither. And uh, I'm left handed. LMAO LMAO LMAO

Fuckin' Apple......................

dirk digler

07-02-2010, 01:43 PM

Loved this piece by John Gruber.

Don't really know how Apple can make a PR situation worse, but they have. We lied to you for 3 years and now we're caught.

Wow I am shocked you actually criticized them. :p

Cave Johnson

07-02-2010, 02:33 PM

I hate to be that repost guy, but I posted a prelim version of this earlier in the lemon thread.

I'd wager it was a calculated move to support AT&T's "more bars in more places" ad campaign. Here comes class action $$ on 2 phones.

BigMeatballDave

07-02-2010, 08:38 PM

Apple can pound sand. Arrogant bastards.

irishjayhawk

07-02-2010, 10:30 PM

Wow I am shocked you actually criticized them. :p

I'm actually pretty fair. Been a big critic of their app store policies.

That said, you always have to combat misinformation and in this case people like Donger who continue to spew the initial reaction which is it was a physical design flaw. That's apparently irregardless of just about every independent reviewing system that found the antenna was much better than before and not everyone could reproduce it.

Like someone said, I can't see the screen if I hold my hand over the screen. Design flaw?

Rausch

07-03-2010, 08:48 AM

I'm actually pretty fair. Been a big critic of their app store policies.

That said, you always have to combat misinformation and in this case people like Donger who continue to spew the initial reaction which is it was a physical design flaw. That's apparently irregardless of just about every independent reviewing system that found the antenna was much better than before and not everyone could reproduce it.

Like someone said, I can't see the screen if I hold my hand over the screen. Design flaw?

As much as Jobs makes Apple a dictatorship (and harsh one at that) I have a hard time seeing this being an accident.

I'm actually pretty fair. Been a big critic of their app store policies.

That said, you always have to combat misinformation and in this case people like Donger who continue to spew the initial reaction which is it was a physical design flaw. That's apparently irregardless of just about every independent reviewing system that found the antenna was much better than before and not everyone could reproduce it.

Like someone said, I can't see the screen if I hold my hand over the screen. Design flaw?

If the antenna is not encapsulated, of course it's a design flaw and a major one. Your fingers are are conducting the RF signal and you are basically becoming part of the antenna. And, people don't make very good antenna.

Apple's pretty much already admitted this. They tell everyone to buy a case. The only reason to do that is to encapsulate the antenna so that you don't conduct the RF as much by direct skin contact.

And, no, covering up the screen is not a design flaw.

irishjayhawk

07-04-2010, 12:00 PM

If the antenna is not encapsulated, of course it's a design flaw and a major one. Your fingers are are conducting the RF signal and you are basically becoming part of the antenna. And, people don't make very good antenna.

How do you explain everyone having leaps and bounds better service?

Also, out of curiosity, are there really people who don't buy cases for their phones/ipods?

irishjayhawk

07-04-2010, 12:01 PM

Apple's pretty much already admitted this. They tell everyone to buy a case. The only reason to do that is to encapsulate the antenna so that you don't conduct the RF as much by direct skin contact.

And, no, covering up the screen is not a design flaw.

I don't see the point in not buying a case, but nonetheless it isn't a design flaw given that its' leaps and bounds BETTER. Flaws make things worse....

And duh, that's the point of how absurd this whole "design flaw" is.

Donger

07-05-2010, 10:57 AM

How do you explain everyone having leaps and bounds better service?

Also, out of curiosity, are there really people who don't buy cases for their phones/ipods?

Everyone has better service with the 4 versus the 3GS? I don't think that's remotely accurate.

Yes, my 3GS is naked.

Donger

07-05-2010, 10:57 AM

I don't see the point in not buying a case, but nonetheless it isn't a design flaw given that its' leaps and bounds BETTER. Flaws make things worse....

And duh, that's the point of how absurd this whole "design flaw" is.

What is better?

irishjayhawk

07-06-2010, 02:30 AM

Everyone has better service with the 4 versus the 3GS? I don't think that's remotely accurate.

Yes, my 3GS is naked.

Go read around. Pretty much everyone but Gizmodo has reported such. And even Gizmodo did before they realized they could play anti-Apple and get more press time. Consumer Reports even did a piece on it.

Even twitter users report as much.

irishjayhawk

07-06-2010, 02:31 AM

What is better?

Reception, call quality, places you can get signal, etc.

Donger

07-06-2010, 07:25 AM

Reception, call quality, places you can get signal, etc.

Have you tried duplicating the RF attenuation? If so, what were your results?

irishjayhawk

07-06-2010, 01:36 PM

Have you tried duplicating the RF attenuation? If so, what were your results?

I personally have not. Consumer reports has and it's consensus is that they were hit or miss on duplicating but if signal is weak to begin with, the drop is noticeable. So it's also partially service oriented too.

Cave Johnson

07-06-2010, 02:17 PM

I wonder if it's confined to the launch day phones or is more widespread. I have 2 friends with those and both run hot and, apparently, have worse battery life than mine.

Frazod

07-06-2010, 02:20 PM

I only know one person who has one and he loves it. Says the battery life is much better than the old one.

Great Expectations

07-06-2010, 03:14 PM

At my workplace of around 30 the iPhone 4 is the only phone able to get reception in the basement. Sprint/Verizon phones and the iPhone 3Gs are all unable to make or receive calls while I have 3 bars.

Donger

07-13-2010, 06:39 AM

I personally have not. Consumer reports has and it's consensus is that they were hit or miss on duplicating but if signal is weak to begin with, the drop is noticeable. So it's also partially service oriented too.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Influential product review magazine Consumer Reports said Monday it will not recommend Apple's new iPhone 4 to consumers because of reception problems.

"Consumer Reports' engineers have just completed testing the iPhone 4, and have confirmed that there there is a problem with its reception," the magazine said in a blog post on its website. "When your finger or hand touches a spot on the phone's lower left side -- an easy thing, especially for lefties -- the signal can significantly degrade enough to cause you to lose your connection altogether if you're in an area with a weak signal."

Apple acknowledged the problem earlier this month, claiming that the issue was a software glitch, not a hardware problem. The company said the formula it used to calculate how many signal bars to display was incorrect, exacerbating the apparent decline in signal strength for customers in weak signal areas.

But Consumer Reports said its study called into question Apple's "optical illusion" claim: It tested the iPhone 4 along with several other AT&T phones, including the iPhone 3GS, in a controlled signal environment. None had the signal-loss problems that the iPhone 4 demonstrated.

The review said electrically bridging the gap between the phone's two antennas appears to be the cause of problem. The magazine suggested covering the gap with a non-conductive material like duct tape as an "affordable" solution.

"It may not be pretty, but it works," the magazine said in its blog.

Consumer Reports noted that the iPhone 4 otherwise ranked highest on the list of smart phone ratings that it released Monday. But the magazine said it will not recommend Apple's new device until the company unveils "a permanent -- and free -- fix for the antenna problem."

As an alternative, Consumer Reports said it continues to recommend the older iPhone 3GS, which is still available from Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500).

Apple said it will release a free software update in the next several weeks to fix the software glitch. It will use a new formula recommended by AT&T (T, Fortune 500), the iPhone's exclusive carrier, for calculating how many bars to display. Apple said it will also make the first three bars a bit taller to make them easier to see.

Still, the company has not admitted to any hardware issue. Apple sells a $29 "bumper" case, which the company suggested in late June as a possible solution to the reception issue.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Influential product review magazine Consumer Reports said Monday it will not recommend Apple's new iPhone 4 to consumers because of reception problems.

"Consumer Reports' engineers have just completed testing the iPhone 4, and have confirmed that there there is a problem with its reception," the magazine said in a blog post on its website. "When your finger or hand touches a spot on the phone's lower left side -- an easy thing, especially for lefties -- the signal can significantly degrade enough to cause you to lose your connection altogether if you're in an area with a weak signal."

Apple acknowledged the problem earlier this month, claiming that the issue was a software glitch, not a hardware problem. The company said the formula it used to calculate how many signal bars to display was incorrect, exacerbating the apparent decline in signal strength for customers in weak signal areas.

But Consumer Reports said its study called into question Apple's "optical illusion" claim: It tested the iPhone 4 along with several other AT&T phones, including the iPhone 3GS, in a controlled signal environment. None had the signal-loss problems that the iPhone 4 demonstrated.

The review said electrically bridging the gap between the phone's two antennas appears to be the cause of problem. The magazine suggested covering the gap with a non-conductive material like duct tape as an "affordable" solution.

"It may not be pretty, but it works," the magazine said in its blog.

Consumer Reports noted that the iPhone 4 otherwise ranked highest on the list of smart phone ratings that it released Monday. But the magazine said it will not recommend Apple's new device until the company unveils "a permanent -- and free -- fix for the antenna problem."

As an alternative, Consumer Reports said it continues to recommend the older iPhone 3GS, which is still available from Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500).

Apple said it will release a free software update in the next several weeks to fix the software glitch. It will use a new formula recommended by AT&T (T, Fortune 500), the iPhone's exclusive carrier, for calculating how many bars to display. Apple said it will also make the first three bars a bit taller to make them easier to see.

Still, the company has not admitted to any hardware issue. Apple sells a $29 "bumper" case, which the company suggested in late June as a possible solution to the reception issue.

Yeah, I was going to post this yesterday.

I still fail to see who uses their phone without a case. I wouldn't do that with an iPod let alone a phone.

That said, it does seem to poke holes in the software patch. But, of course, that hasn't been released yet so who knows.

Fish

07-13-2010, 04:01 PM

You'd be surpised how many people make their buying decisions based on what consumer reports says.

(Mashable) -- It'd be an understatement to say that this has been a terrible week for Apple, and we haven't even reached the halfway point.

On Monday, Consumer Reports dealt a devastating blow to the iPhone 4 when it declined to recommend the device to consumers due to the antenna reception problem.

Consumer Reports concluded from its tests that cell reception is indeed lost if you cover up the small gap between the two metal bands on the bottom left corner (as it's facing you) of the phone. The media quickly picked up the story.

Tuesday wasn't any better for the tech giant. Consumer Reports slammed Apple for not providing a fix to customers at no extra cost. Some have even suggested that a recall was imminent -- an endeavor that would cost the company $1.5 billion.

All of this news resulted in a sharp dive in Apple's stock price, although it has since made a partial recovery. There are even class action lawsuits waiting in the wings.

Apple has a nightmare on its hands, and no software fix will make the problem go away. The issue has taken on a life of its own.

The situation isn't impossible for Apple to recover from, though. However, the company needs to take action, and it needs to do it quick. Here are what my top five priorities would be if I were in Steve Jobs' shoes:

1. Acknowledge that the antenna problem is real

While you can't call the data conclusive, you can say that the data overwhelmingly points to one conclusion: the iPhone has an antenna problem. The iPhone antenna issue has been replicated in countless YouTube videos and by multiple media organizations, including us. Apple's internal documents show that they know the issue is real.

This is almost certainly a hardware issue, and it's time that Apple stopped being coy and just admit that the phone does have an issue with its reception. The current string of denials and half-truths won't have any legs as the pressure mounts and the lawyers come knocking.

The best thing the company can do is issue an open letter on the antenna issue, ideally from Steve Jobs himself. The key to making this go away is transparency.

2. Go into the technical details

Once Apple acknowledges the problem, it needs to give up details, such as the science behind the antenna issue, why the company didn't catch it during testing, and different potential fixes.

Don't spare the public the complicated and scientific issues behind the iPhone's design and how different grips affect reception -- anything less won't appease a critical public.

3. Roll out the software update

Apple has promised a software update earlier this month to "fix" the formula used to calculate signal bar strength display, which the company pointed to as the root of the iPhone antenna problem.

While we believe that the software fix was meant to be a decoy to the real hardware issue, the company has already committed to the software update, and it should roll it out as promised. Don't keep trying to point to software as the problem, though: most people are aware that it's not a software bug causing the antenna issue and treating it as such is just demeaning and condescending to iPhone users everywhere.

4. Make the bumpers free

Out of all of my suggestions, this one is the key. Those iPhone bumpers may cost $29.00 in the Apple Store, but in reality the rubber and plastic mold only costs a fraction of that price (possibly around $1 per bumper).

Providing that accessory to customers for free solves the antenna issue, as bare skin has to touch the iPhone 4's metal casing in order to drop signal. It's not an ideal fix, but it's far better than the other option: a recall.

5. No matter what, don't issue an iPhone 4 recall

Some have suggested that Apple should recall the iPhone 4. That isn't a simple affair. In fact, most users would be more annoyed and upset than pleased with the Cuptertino-based company.

Let's play out the scenario. Apple performs a recall of its devices. Millions of people are annoyed as they either have to give up their device or keep a clearly defective one. Apple, already at peak production capacity, would take weeks -- if not months -- to replace the phones. Estimates place the cost of a recall in the billions.

Here's the truth: The iPhone 4 antenna issue isn't a hazardous one. It isn't exploding in people's hands, it isn't cutting anyone's palms randomly, and it isn't suddenly bursting into flames. Those are critical issues that would require a recall.

The antenna issue, while important and a problem that Apple should have found and addressed before the product's launch last month, doesn't rise to that level. Recalls are meant only as a last resort. Do you think Ford is going to recall all of its cars for a faulty radio?

Apple, while it may be feeling the pressure, can't cave to it. There is a balance here. It has to be truthful with what's actually wrong with the iPhone antenna and what is not. It has to keep its emotions in check as it discusses the antenna independent of the iPhone 4's many other amazing features. And finally, the company, the company has to give customers something to solve the issue.

Free bumpers seem like the appropriate middle ground. A recall is over-the-top extreme and hurts rather than helps consumers in the end.

Donger

07-14-2010, 01:13 PM

Yeah, I was going to post this yesterday.

I still fail to see who uses their phone without a case. I wouldn't do that with an iPod let alone a phone.

That said, it does seem to poke holes in the software patch. But, of course, that hasn't been released yet so who knows.

I don't have a case for my 3GS.

They've reached the same conclusion that anyone who knows about RF has: that direct skin contact on that part of the antenna causes massive attenuation. Which is a hardware design flaw. No software patch is going to fix that.

I don't know that Apple MUST do anything; as others have mentioned, people will keep buying it like they always have. However, they'd sure be less douchey if they gave everybody a free bumper gizmo.

DMAC

07-14-2010, 02:24 PM

I'm sure this has been said, but...

I still just cannot comprehend how through all the testing they did not see this problem.

They had to have seen it and just produced anyway. Which is why the bumpers were made.

Fish

07-14-2010, 04:00 PM

I'm sure this has been said, but...

I still just cannot comprehend how through all the testing they did not see this problem.

They had to have seen it and just produced anyway. Which is why the bumpers were made.

I'm not so sure. I've talked with over 3 dozen people here at work that have a new iPhone 4, and not a single one of them can reproduce the signal drop. I tried it myself with a few of them. After reading online, I assumed it would be rather easy to reproduce. But it really wasn't. Each of those people also claims to get a far better signal with iPhone 4 than their previous phone.

OnTheWarpath58

07-14-2010, 04:03 PM

I'm not so sure. I've talked with over 3 dozen people here at work that have a new iPhone 4, and not a single one of them can reproduce the signal drop. I tried it myself with a few of them. After reading online, I assumed it would be rather easy to reproduce. But it really wasn't. Each of those people also claims to get a far better signal with iPhone 4 than their previous phone.

Same here, I just don't know as many people that have it yet. Little over a handful, and not one of them has been able to reproduce this issue.

The iPhone 4 could knowingly cause cancer, with a Surgeon General's warning label on the front, and it would still break sales records.

LMAO

They would but the rationalization would be something like this:

"The iPhone doesn't actually cause cancer. It causes some minor sub-atomic changes in squamous cells that could eventually lead to cancer. And besides it's really ATT's data plan and the calculation of the signal bar equation that leads to cancer. If apple hadn't got into an exclusivity contract with ATT, none of this cancer talk would be putting apple in such a bad light. AND haters gonna hate"/ Apple enthusiast

irishjayhawk

07-14-2010, 04:34 PM

I'm sure this has been said, but...

I still just cannot comprehend how through all the testing they did not see this problem.

They had to have seen it and just produced anyway. Which is why the bumpers were made.

The biggest theory is that their field testing used cases to disguise the new prototype. Therefore, it wouldn't have registered. The "lost" iphone debacle highlighted this.

That, and like people have said, it's fairly un-reproducable depending on who you talk to.

Donger

07-14-2010, 04:51 PM

I don't know that Apple MUST do anything; as others have mentioned, people will keep buying it like they always have. However, they'd sure be less douchey if they gave everybody a free bumper gizmo.

Well, of course not. It's iWay or the hIghway.

Donger

07-14-2010, 04:58 PM

The biggest theory is that their field testing used cases to disguise the new prototype. Therefore, it wouldn't have registered. The "lost" iphone debacle highlighted this.

That, and like people have said, it's fairly un-reproducable depending on who you talk to.

I doubt that. If there is an attenuation problem, and it sounds like there is, it depends on how good or poor the RSSI is when the attenuation takes place. If the RSSI is already bad, the call will drop. If the RSSI is good, it won't. Either way, attenuation is taking place.

irishjayhawk

07-14-2010, 05:02 PM

I doubt that. If there is an attenuation problem, and it sounds like there is, it depends on how good or poor the RSSI is when the attenuation takes place. If the RSSI is already bad, the call will drop. If the RSSI is good, it won't. Either way, attenuation is taking place.

Which part are you talking about? The unreliability of reproducing the glitch.

Donger

07-14-2010, 05:05 PM

Which part are you talking about? The unreliability of reproducing the glitch.

Yes, sort of. If a hardware design flaw does exist, I presume it exists with all the 4s shipped so far. If that is the case, then all of them can be attenuated in the fashion described by CR.

Note that CR reported they tested under controlled conditions. That means more than some doofus holding it and going, "No, it's fine."

Donger

07-16-2010, 12:07 PM

Well, free bumpers for everyone!

DaFace

07-16-2010, 03:01 PM

Well, free bumpers for everyone!

Good for them. It's the right move and will clearly shift the PR wave in their favor. I still won't be buying an iPhone, but I think they suck much less now.